Vertical market software is aimed at addressing the needs of any given business within a discerniblevertical market (specific industry or market). Whilehorizontal market software can be useful to a wide array of industries (such as word processors or spreadsheet programs), vertical market software is developed for and customized to a specific industry's needs.
For example, many legal applications are developed by lawyers who create a tool useful to themselves, then sell it to others. By 1990 many legaldocument management systems—including those designed for specialties such aspersonal injury,medical malpractice, andcorporate law—existed, plustime-tracking software andproject management software. One IT consultant to lawyers said that he had a database of hundreds of legal applications he could present to clients.[1]
Vertical market software is readily identifiable by the application specificgraphical user interface which defines it. One example of vertical market software ispoint-of-sale software.